The Complete Rules of Padel

June 30, 2026 4 min read

New to padel, or just want to settle an on-court argument? Here is how the game actually works, from the court to the serve to playing off the glass.

The court

A padel court is 20 metres long and 10 metres wide, split across the middle by a net. It is enclosed by walls (a mix of glass on the back walls and part of the sides, with metal mesh or fence above), and those walls are in play, which is what makes padel different from tennis.

Net: about 0.88 m high at the centre and 0.92 m at the posts.
Service boxes: service lines run 6.95 m from the net on each side, with a centre line dividing the two boxes.
Padel is played almost always as doubles (two vs. two).

Scoring

Scoring uses the same counting as tennis:

Points within a game: 15, 30, 40, game.
Deuce (40-40): decided either by advantage (win by two points) or by a golden point, a single sudden-death point where the receiving team chooses which side receives. Most professional and many competitive formats (for example, Premier Padel) use the golden point; recreational play often uses advantage.
Games and sets: first to 6 games wins a set, and you must win by two. At 6-6 you play a 7-point tiebreak (win by two).
Match: best of 3 sets.

The serve

The serve is underhand. There is no overhead serve in padel.

The server stands behind the service line and bounces the ball once on the ground, then strikes it at or below waist height.
The serve is hit diagonally (cross-court) and must land in the opponent's service box.
Both feet stay behind the service line (you cannot step on or over it as you serve).
You get two serves. A fault on the first gives you a second.
After bouncing in the box, the serve may touch the side glass and still be good. But if it bounces in the box and then hits the metal fence or mesh, it is a fault.
If the serve clips the net and still lands correctly in the box, it is a let, so replay it.

The receiver must let the serve bounce once before returning it (you cannot volley the serve).

Playing the walls (the glass)

This is the heart of padel. After the ball has bounced once on your side's floor, you can let it rebound off your own walls (back glass or side glass) and play it back over the net.

You can play the ball off your own glass as much as you like, as long as it bounced on your floor first.
Your shot must travel over the net and bounce on the opponent's floor. You may not hit the ball so that it strikes the opponent's wall before bouncing on their floor, which is out.
You can volley (hit before the bounce) during a rally. Just never on the serve return.

When the ball is out or out of the court

The ball is out if it leaves the court over the walls, or if it hits the opponent's wall or fence before bouncing on their floor.
A ball that hits the metal fence or mesh on your own side before bouncing on the floor is also out against you.
On many courts there is an opening (a "gate") in the side fence. A ball that goes out through the opening can be chased. A player may run outside the court and return it, and a winner played out through the gap counts.

Common faults (you lose the point if…)

The ball bounces twice on your floor before you hit it.
You hit the ball into the net, or out of the court.
The ball hits you or your partner.
You touch the net with your racket or body while the ball is in play.
You volley the serve, or the served ball hits the fence before bouncing in the box.

Quick FAQ

Is the serve overhand or underhand? Underhand. You bounce the ball once and strike it at or below waist height, hit diagonally into the opposite service box.

Can I play the ball after it bounces off the back glass on my side? Yes. Once the ball has bounced on your floor, you can let it come off your own back or side glass and play it back over the net.

What is the golden point? At deuce (40-40), instead of playing advantages, a single sudden-death point decides the game; the receiving team chooses which side receives it. Used in most pro formats.

What are the dimensions of a padel court? 20 m long by 10 m wide, enclosed by glass and mesh walls, divided by a net roughly 0.88 m high at the centre.

How many serves do I get? Two. A fault on the first gives you a second serve.

Best of how many sets? Best of three; six games win a set (win by two), with a tiebreak at 6-6.